Locations:
Search IconSearch

Are Salt Substitutes a Healthy Way to Lower Your Sodium Intake?

How to make your meals less salty and more flavorful

spilled salt shaker

It’s hard not to acquire a taste for salt when it’s hidden in so many foods (especially the processed foods popular in America). So when your doctor tells you to slash the salt in your diet, you may not know how to make food taste good without it.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Salt substitutes typically swap sodium chloride for potassium chloride. But are they a good swap? Not necessarily, says dietitian Maxine Smith, RD, LD.

“Salt substitutes can be a healthy alternative for some people because potassium is an important mineral that helps lower blood pressure,” she says. “But salt substitutes can be dangerous when you have conditions such as kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease or diabetes.”

These conditions may (though not in all cases) raise the risk of high levels of potassium in your blood — normally well-controlled by the body. The potassium in salt substitutes can tip that balance.

Similarly, using salt substitutes while on certain medications — the most common being ACE inhibitors and potassium-sparing diuretics — can raise your blood potassium to risky levels.

“There are a number of risks,” Smith says, “so don’t take salt substitutes unless they’re approved by your physician.”

Why is salt so bad for you?

Salt isn’t bad. On the contrary, your body needs both salt and potassium, which, on a microscopic level, pump fluid in and out of all your cells.

The right levels of sodium allow your muscles to contract and your nerves to fire. They also regulate fluid levels to prevent dehydration.

Advertisement

“Optimal potassium levels are vital for normal functioning of the heart (including maintaining normal heart rhythm), the muscles and the nerves,” Smith says.

But the balance between the minerals is a delicate one. And getting too much salt or potassium is dangerous.

For example, when you eat too many salty foods, excess fluid starts to build up in your bloodstream. Your kidneys can’t filter all the fluid out, so the fluid stays in your blood vessels, straining their walls.

Over time, that high blood pressure can lead to kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.

Where can you use salt substitutes?

You can use salt substitutes just like table salt at your meals and on snacks like popcorn. The one downside is that potassium chloride tastes bitter, or metallic, to some people.

“It’s best to start with small amounts,” Smith advises.

And although you can cook and bake with salt substitute, you can’t completely leave out the salt when you bake, or certain chemical reactions won’t occur.

For example, when baking bread, you need salt to help the yeast ferment properly and to keep the dough from getting too sticky.

The good news is that potassium acts like salt. But to avoid a bitter aftertaste in baked goods, substitute no more than 20% of the regular salt with a salt substitute.

“You can further decrease the sodium by using sodium-free baking powder,” Smith suggests.

Are salt substitutes best for reducing salt intake?

Instead of relying on salt substitutes, why not try a more adventurous route?

“You can use more herbs and spices, and seasonings like lemon juice and flavored vinegars,” Smith says. “Many herbs have anti-inflammatory properties, so your diet can be healthier and even tastier.”

You can also buy salt-free herb blends like Mrs. Dash® at the grocery store. Or, better yet, make your own. You’ll find many recipes for different salt-free herb blend combinations online.

Easy recipes for salt-free Mexican, Italian and mixed herb seasoning blends, plus tips for eating right with less salt, are available from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“You can also add herb blends to marinades and plain bread crumbs,” Smith says. “Herbs, lemon juice and vinegar all decrease the formation of toxic compounds from grilling.”

How much should you limit salt?

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams a day of sodium per day for most adults, though ideally no more than 1,500 milligrams a day.

“But keep in mind that most of the sodium in your diet comes from processed and restaurant foods, and not the salt shaker,” Smith says.

Advertisement

And know that, just as you’ve acquired a taste for salt in your diet, over time you’ll be able to lose your taste for salt.

“By exploring new herbs and spices, you may find yourself enjoying new meals that tantalize your taste buds,” Smith says.

Advertisement

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Person in park wearing fitness apparel, drinking water from bottle, with person walking and person on bench in background
October 3, 2024/Nutrition
How Much Water You Should Drink Every Day

Consumption needs vary based on activity, weather, metabolism and other factors

A plate on table divided into balanced nutrition sizes, with fork and knife, and a spot on the table for dairy
September 27, 2024/Nutrition
What Exactly Is a Balanced Diet?

A typical recommended balanced diet is half fruits and veggies, a quarter protein and a quarter grains

Person in kitchen holding placard with six foods containing calcium, like tofu, broccoli and almonds
September 6, 2024/Nutrition
Food for Your Bones: How To Follow the Osteoporosis Diet

Eating enough dairy, fish and leafy greens is a good way to help keep your bones strong

Tofu and vegetables in enamel serving skillet
August 27, 2024/Nutrition
What You Need To Know About the Ornish Diet

This low-fat, plant-based eating plan includes lifestyle changes, such as exercise, stress management and social support

Hands scooping pomegranate seeds from bowl onto fruit bowl
August 22, 2024/Nutrition
Is a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet Right for You?

Eating foods derived from plants can lower your risks of heart disease, diabetes and obesity

Food placed on plate like a clock
August 9, 2024/Nutrition
Intermittent Fasting Explained: Benefits and How To Do It Safely

There are different ways to alternate between eating and fasting

Person holding up and pointing to bowl of tofu, with assorted protein foods floating around
July 25, 2024/Nutrition
What Iron Does for Your Body

The benefits of iron span your whole body, from your blood and your brain to your immune system and more

Plate with beef, eggs, avocado, leafy greens and apricots, with multi-grain bread, walnuts, sweet potato and yogurt
July 11, 2024/Women's Health
What To Eat and Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding

A well-balanced diet of whole grains, salmon, leafy greens and more can help maintain energy and increase milk supply

Trending Topics

Female and friend jogging outside
How To Increase Your Metabolism for Weight Loss

Focus on your body’s metabolic set point by eating healthy foods, making exercise a part of your routine and reducing stress

stovetop with stainless steel cookware and glassware
5 Ways Forever Chemicals (PFAS) May Affect Your Health

PFAS chemicals may make life easier — but they aren’t always so easy on the human body

jar of rice water and brush, with rice scattered around table
Could Rice Water Be the Secret To Healthier Hair?

While there’s little risk in trying this hair care treatment, there isn’t much science to back up the claims

Ad